


Adventures in Bad Influence

by taramidala



Series: A Daughter in Time [2]
Category: Star Wars - Alternate Universe, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars: New Republic Era - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Kid Fic, Motherhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-10-08 04:12:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10377852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taramidala/pseuds/taramidala
Summary: Mara returns Luke's daughter safely home.  He discovers hijinks.Alternate universe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on the alternate universe I loosely established in my fic ["Life Among the Ashes."](http://archiveofourown.org/works/575139)
> 
> This story takes place within that world, and all you need to know is that Luke was married and widowed with a daughter (‘Aislin’) prior to marrying Mara Jade. This story comes before ["The Best First Night."](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1088811)

It had been a week that Mara Jade felt in every inch of her bones, she acknowledged to herself from her seat on the _Wild Karrde_ ’s bridge. Each muscle twisted and tugged beneath her skin as she shifted and stretched the tension away. Nothing about this week had been difficult, exactly, but the exhaustion she felt was bone-deep. A quick run to settle an account she’d been working on _before_ …

Mara smiled at that. Before, life had been business, success, and the pride that came with them. Friendship, respect, professional trust. Now, all those things remained and were joined by more personal assets. Warmth. Safety. Love. A soulbond so deep it flowed in her veins awake and asleep.

An adventure the likes of which she’d never experienced before, exemplified by the pale blue eyes of a six-year-old girl.

No one would ever think that Luke Skywalker - calm, cool, collected Jedi Master - could have produced such a precocious, energetic, wild child. No one looking in from the distant outside, that was.

Mara knew better, for Luke hid his true self away, save from those who knew him best. Willful, argumentative, passionate - to name a few of his less annoying qualities - he could either send her into a rage or convince her to do anything he asked, so long as he asked it softly and with a hint of that formerly-roguish grin.

It was the balance between those two sides of himself that drew - had always drawn - her to him, and what set her stomach fluttering at their future prospects, and her new role in life. Lover. Wife. Surrogate mother.

In addition to their intimate personal changes, other shifts were also afoot. After so many years, the Jedi temple on Coruscant had been restored and would re-open, although with exponentially far fewer numbers than before. At any rate, Luke had worked hard on both the reconstruction and the growth of the Order, and had done so nearly single-handedly. So Mara had offered to take Aislin with her for the week so he could focus. She was to be Aislin’s other guardian soon, Mara argued; it would be to their little family’s benefit if the girl recognized and bonded with Mara as an authority figure.

Where was the child, anyway?

For the most part, Aislin had behaved well. The impeccable manners? All Leia’s influence. Shy, sad silence around the others, up to now strangers? The child’s beloved mother. The incessant questions that bit at Mara’s heels? About every single detail of every single thought, action, word, ship spec, and unfamiliar lifeform? This girl was a _Skywalker_ through and through.

When the activities Luke had packed became insufficient to keep Aislin occupied, Mara had ended up with her own personal shadow.

Karrde had barely contained his mirth at Mara’s expense every time he looked at her. Had Mara ever had a moment alone with him during the week, she might have called him out on it.  
  
She could not _wait_ to be home, yet she couldn’t imagine a better week. She’d known Aislin Skywalker had wormed her way into her heart long ago, but had not appreciated just how much until now. No one had ever looked at Mara the way Aislin did, with curiosity and respect and need and caring. Mara loved the girl nearly as much as she loved the girl’s father, and that was a revelation in and of itself.

“Are we there yet?” Aislin’s voice cut into Mara’s private thoughts. The child curled further into Mara’s lap, half-asleep, hugging a stuffed pitten they’d acquired along their travels.

“Another thirty minutes, Aislin,” Mara said, smiling down at the girl while stroking her pale ginger head. “Why don’t you go back to sleep?”

At that suggestion, the child darted upright, her entire being completely alert. “No, Mara! Seeing Cor’sant is my favorite!”

All Mara could do was laugh, her stomach tightening with gentle joy. “All right, but let’s go watch from our cabin, all right? The boys will need to take over to land, and you need to pack your bag. We don’t want to keep your father waiting at the dock.”

Aislin took off running. Mara never had a chance.  
  


* * *

  
Fisting his hands into his pockets, Luke Skywalker planted his feet against sharply into the floor, to reject his instinct to pace. As the _Wild Karrde_ came into view in the distance, he took a deep breath and force himself into a state of patient calm.

Still, it had been a long week without them both, and he longed to know it went well. After four long years of emotional oblivion, the brightness of his daughter’s spirit filled the dark places in his own, as it should be.

As it should have always been.

They’d already lost so much time.

He never wanted to be apart from her again.

And Mara, well, Mara was like an extra shot of oxygen and adrenaline to the soul all at once. She wasn’t so much missed as _craved_ with every part of his being.

The hissing repulsors halted, and from the hull of the docked ship came Mara’s calming presence, brushing against his. _Hi there_ , she whispered.

 _Welcome home_ , he sent, his lips curving into a smile at the sight of the boarding ramp lowering. _One foot in front of the other_ , he told himself, forcing himself not to run to the ramp. Mara’s boots came into view, shiny and black against the grey steel of the ship. Her grin matched his own, and she carried both hers and Aislin’s bags in one hand.

Mara’s green eyes glowed up at him as Luke peered over her shoulder. “Where’s Aisl --”

“ _Ah’da_!”

Bounding down at full speed and leaping into his waiting arms, Luke spun his girl around as she squealed and giggled. Her tiny hands clutched his neck and tugged at his hair as her fledgling warmth filled and renewed him. “Oh, dearest, I missed you,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

He held her a moment longer, all while meeting Mara’s gaze over Aislin’s shoulder. Mara’s warmth filled him _differently_ , and he couldn’t wait to get her home to properly thank her for taking such care with his child. _I missed you, too, Mara_ , he sent her way, watching as her lovely face blossomed into a wider smile.

“Let’s go home and you can tell me all about it,” Mara quipped. Luke set Aislin down between him and Mara, took her hand, and then --

What the --?

He dropped Aislin’s hand and stepped back. Looked at Mara. Looked at Aislin.

“It was _her_ idea, Farmboy,” Mara said. “How could I refuse?”

How could she have, indeed? Matching white shirts, black flight jackets, and tight braids. Aislin even had a toy (he hoped!) blaster strapped to her hip.

Little eyes blinked up at Mara and noted her posture. Little limbs shifted to mimic Mara’s pose - hip cocked, hand at waist, head tilted. But for the blue of her gaze, it was an uncanny resemblance.

Luke felt his laughter build from a tremor in his gut. He dipped his head to hide it, but found Mara’s silent laughter set him grinning so widely his face ached.

“You’re a bad influence, Mara,” he sputtered.

With a shrug, Mara leaned for a kiss across the small bundle between them. “Love you!” Again, she took Aislin’s hand and walked away.

All Luke could do was shake his head, and follow.


End file.
